a GOOD way to end the agility season

I started with a very rough week last week. I must have somehow caught a bad cold early of the week because when I went to train at Bernadette on Wednesday, I was puffing and panting running around the course. I don't think I was normally that bad but I can feel a temperature after the training. I was in bed all day on Thursday and have to miss my club training. I was wondering should I miss the Suffolk 5 Rivers show too! But, Saturn is going to pair with Leo for the first time and I do not like to let people down, so I have to pull myself together and set off on Friday to Suffolk.

Suffolk Showground is a lovely showground, I am definitely back next year. I saw there were many hook up points but I wasn't sure if we are allow to use it but we were happy with our battery for the weekend. The Showground is massive, there is always plenty of space to walk your dogs and there are a couple of fence up bits where they have some wild animals live in there. We went to explore and enjoyed the quiet beautiful place. The Suffolk 5 Rivers members are very friendly too, overall, a lovely friendly show.

I wasn't 100% fit, I felt rough especially in the morning, I was coughing, choking, craoky ... and poor Saturn was so confused when he heard my croaky voice. He was a good boy, he tried so hard but I was short of breath to catch up with him and he could not understand my croaky voice and he looked all confused!! He has a couple of clear round in Jumping but not fast enough to beat the Collies!

Suffolk 5 Rivers show is the first show that I have to run Sing and Saturn in different classes. Saturn's classes were in the morning and Sing's were in the afternoon, normally after lunch. When I took Saturn out, Sing has to be locked in the caravan with the others, so I wonder that actually help power him up (jealousy!!). Everytime, when Colin and I took Saturn out, I can hear him crying (very sad crying ... it actually broke my heart everytime I hear it).

Now, some good news ... Sing won out of Grade 4 by 7 seconds on Saturday! He was a real star this weekend, he also got a 2nd in Jumping. He continues to shine on Sunday, YES, he won the Jumping class. I was thrilled with his double win!! I was a bit upset about the Agiltiy on Sunday, it was another course that need a lots of handling and I knew we can win the class provided Sing will not leap off the Dog Walk. It wasn't a starightline after the Dog Walk, it was a sharp right turn which I have to be on the other side of the jump to switch 2 times. I pulled away too fast and too far and Sing ping the Dog Walk and we got fault on that! Beside this only fault, he was 10 seconds faster than the winner!! I am very pleased with my Sing, I set a target beginning of this year to make him a Grade 5 dog by the end of the year and it fulfilled. Isn't this is the GOOD way to end the agility season?

After this weekend, I need to work hard with Sing on Dog Walk turning left and right; and I also need to learn how to TRUST Saturn. My winter project!

Sorry, there is no video of the winning moment, Sing still run out to his daddy all the time and Colin would not want to risk it BUT I captured a very tired Sing after his run of the day!! This poor tired boy deserved a good sleep, I need to give up my bed for him. I have to sleep on the floor with the others!!

I am very glad to meet up with Linda and her three lovely shelties. Linda pop in with her hubby and shelties to keep us company. Isn't it nice to have friends around when you camp alone?

The handsome pair, Leo and Saturn. They have a similar face.

This is the beautiful merlie girlie Flowie

Leo is a football mad

This is Leo's circus trick

and this is Oscar

Crazy MAD House and Bromsgrove

Last week was a crazy week, my eldest nephew arrived from Malaysia with his girlfriend on Tuesday evening. I went to Heathrow to pick them up, they were landed around 5:30pm but didn't get through the custom until 8:30pm!! I then have to drive through Central London to drop the youngest nephew in Chiswick then drove into Liverpool Street to pick up Colin, by the time we got home, it was nearly 11pm!! The week passed by in blur as I have to help sorting the kids' universities ... etc.

We had a disaster starts on Friday going to Bromsgrove. First, the caravan jockey wheel played up, the caravan was hitting the ground hard and luckily I have a strong nephew to help lifting the caravan so we can hitch on the tow ball. When we were somewhere around M40, I've realised the lights weren't working properly so we pulled into the nearest service station and when I looked at what happened, I nearly fainted. Yes, the electric cable was drag on the Motorway and it has worn out, so we need to call the AA to come to rescue! Well, they didn't turn up until 2 hours later and took an hour to fix the problem.

By the time we got down to Bromsgrove, it was nearly 5pm (we aim to get there by 1pm)!! It was a lovely show, the only downside is the exercise area, the field is full of thistle!!

Bromsgrove was Sing's first Grade 4 show, he did pretty well to start his Grade 4 career, he got a 2nd in the Combined 1-4 Agility and another 2nd in the Combined 1-4 Jumping. He wasn't far behind the winner.

Saturn was a good boy too but my poor handling let him down again and again. He was so close to win 2 classes but we just couldn't get there!!

I need to work HARDER!

This is funny, I never know you will be awarded with a trophy if you are doing well at work but Colin does! Since April, he has brought home 3 trophies!! I need to work harder with the boys to keep up with him!!

Colin is a workaholic, he really work so hard to earn all these trophies!

These are my collection, I need to work harder to keep up with him!!

tracking

We didn't have any show this weekend but we have some exciting fun time! Our friend Jim & Joan are down in Childham caravanning, Jim rang on Saturday to tell us that he lost his Wedding ring in the field and he sounded very upset. We were busy entertaining my sister-in-law's family on Saturday so we could not go to visit them then but we brought our metal detectors on Sunday to help to find the lost ring!!

here is Colin checking the metal detector and Sing wonders what is the game ...

the search begins ... Sing & Saturn could not stop poking their noses in to help their dad

We bought Jim a new fancy metal detector (from Maplin) for his birthday (next Sunday), here Colin shows him how to detect a wedding ring!!

there he goes ... Sing is a very clever dog but he has not been taught to sniff rings!!

Result: CANNOT find the ring in such a big field!!

missing you

I've tried to tidy up my picture folder and found this picture of Scribble, it brought back a lot of tears. Look at the picture, you will know she will made such a brilliant agility dog! Thank you very much to Ann and The Hennessy Family for giving her such a lovely time.

She has gone for a week tomorrow but she will be remembered, always!

Happy Anniversary

Since we didn't go to Letchworth and Colin was on holiday, we took the boys out for some lovely walks for the last three days. Friday was our 6th Anniversary, we took the boys to Modern Hall Park where we got married 6 years ago. The boys enjoyed running around, playing ball and chasing squirrels!

I was very surprised to see the tree trunk is still there after 6 years!

Modern Hall Park is a gigantic park, we walked for hours and hours and the boys enjoyed running around

Colin is Ray Mear's Crazy, he found this lots of Acorn and cooked that for our anniversary lunch, is he a romantic husband? Certainly Not!

We found a lovely Rose Garden, all sort, all colours!!

I just like to climb a tree and the boys always trying hard to follow me up the tree

He is such a handsome merle

this is Sing at Seven Sisters Country Park, being in the sea all day!! He was a happy wet dog!

We didn't get home until 10pm from Brighton on Thursday evening and by the time we got home, all the dogs were straight in the bath, I don't think I like any salty dog on my bed!!

This is Sing looking so fluffy and clean!!

In the evening, we wanted to take the boys to Oaks Park but we were too tired, instead, they have another long walk in Mitcham Common, here is Colin chucking the ball for the boys.

Guess what we have for our anniversary dinner? No candle light dinner ... we ended up in McDonalds having Big Mac Meal!!

Here is the video iof Sing swimming in the sea, he looked so tired, he must have been swam for good half and hour fighting the strong wave!!